Charles Daniels (swimmer)

Charles Daniels
Personal information
Full nameCharles Meldrum Daniels
Nickname"Charlie"
National teamUnited States
Born(1885-03-24)March 24, 1885
Dayton, Ohio, U.S.
DiedAugust 9, 1973(1973-08-09) (aged 88)
Carmel Valley Village, California, U.S.
Height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight154 lb (70 kg)
SpouseFlorence Goodyear Daniels
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesFreestyle
ClubNew York Athletic Club
CoachGus Sundstrom (NYAC)
Medal record
Men's swimming
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
1904 St. Louis220 yd freestyle
1904 St. Louis440 yd freestyle
1904 St. Louis4x50 yd freestyle
1908 London100 m freestyle
1904 St. Louis100 yd freestyle
1904 St. Louis50 yd freestyle
1908 London4x200 m freestyle
Intercalated Games
1906 Athens100 m freestyle

Charles Meldrum Daniels (March 24, 1885 – August 9, 1973) was an American competition swimmer, eight-time Olympic medalist, and world record-holder in two freestyle swimming events. Daniels was an innovator of the front crawl swimming style, helping to develop the "American crawl".

Daniels was born in Dayton, Ohio on March 24, 1885, to Thomas Porter Daniels and Elizabeth "Lizzie" Alice Meldrum Daniels, daughter of a dry goods store owner. He attended Dwight Prep school in New York City where he was captain of the school's basketball team, did the high jump, and ran the mile and half mile with the track team. Familiar with strong swimming, Charles's father Thomas often swam a half mile out to sea when the family vacationed in Long Island.